This is an online blog journal of all my kitesurfing activities. I blog and log every kitesurfing session and provide information on skills progression, gear, weather and locations. I am based in Melbourne, Australia where we are blessed with good winds and some wonderful kitesurfing. I also take kitecam photos and video. I also record many sessions with a GPS.

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Bali Wave Camp day 2 - good wind and first major theory

Went for a swim in the morning. There is a savage rip so swimming without fins is very difficult. I struggled back to the waves breaking on the pebble bar but was not able to catch any cleanly. I got washed in back to the beach. There was a drowning fatality here last week. I am not surprised, the beach is very dangerous due to the savage rip and strong crossflow into it.

I then went for a walk up to the main road to have a look around. Lots of people living quietly in the area, and a few shops on the main road. The beach area is undergoing a lot of development; it could well be a resort area within a few years.

I was more confident going out, but smacked into the crest of a wave just breaking which was a wall of water, stopping my dead in my tracks. I flew the kite out, and ducked under a couple of broken waves, with the board dangling on the leash. After the set came through I got going again without too much trouble.

I was not able to get much upwind on the 14, it felt a bit overpowered, so I swapped over to the 10. It felt better - less pull and more relaxing. The wind picked up a bit and I was able make some ground upwind.

I got on one swell and rode it in. Dropping into the rip gave me the option of resetting the board without being smashed by any waves.s

Later in the day I got on another wave, but came straight in. The kite lost power and I lost speed, then got caught by the wave.

On the last run I tried the figure 8 move, but couldn't really get it happening. I reverted to my flying the kite style I use on the bay rollers in Melbourne.

Did heaps of riding with the rear foot just behind the front foot, in both directions. It felt better today and I had no mishaps.

I tried toeside riding, and got going better this time, but not comfortably. I was loosing ground and going downwind a bit so I stopped after a short distance. Toeside riding is difficult for me. I was not able to try out bring my rear foot formard.

Getting out of the rip the last time I drifted into another wave zone closer to the "no go" rocks. Here the waves were smashing me, so I gave up trying to get out and body dragged on the board to the beach, and walked back. Bruce asked me if it was my kite, I said "yes it was" then realised it wasn't. I had taken Sam's S12 out mistakenly, it has identical colours to mine. Tip: Double check your kite. That explained whey the depower was set on, which I did not remember doing!The waist harness is riding up and chafing at my lower ribs, which are now a bit sore to touch. Right now I am wishing I had my seat harness (nappy), but the goal is to get better using it.

Tired at the end of the day. The bali boys are great with the kites and helping out, retrieving kites and boards washed in, pumping up kites and carrying all the gear down there too. I carry my gear back to the storage location and take my board, helmet & booties back to the villa.

Overall the quality if riders is very good, a hard core crew and very committted. I feel like a beginner again, and a couple of others have remarked the same.

I am going to try and book a massage tonight.

Some rules

Going out, kite down over waves

Fly the kite, fly the kite, fly the kite

If in doubt, fly the kite out (over the waves)

Front foot, back foot, lower stance

Turn the kite, turn the board

Getting onto wave (left break)

Approach tacking right

Turn the kite left

Turn the kite right (figure 8)

Turn the board left

Follow the kite, stay on the wave

General tips

If in big surf off the board, duck dive under the wave, dip the kite down (kite out behind the wave). While under, pull on bar to bring the kite back up.

When riding toeside, take the rear foot out and bring it behind the front foot to go upwind better.

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This blog records my kitesurfing sessions and skills progression, along with information on gear, weather and locations. I am based in Melbourne, Australia where we are blessed with good winds and some wonderful kitesurfing locations.